


Do You Notice Me Noticing You?

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Post-Sburb, WAFF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 12:26:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2850812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Dirk Strider learns much about Dave, and falls slowly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Do You Notice Me Noticing You?

When Dave doesn't pay attention, you watch him. 

It isn't really because you want to learn how he ticks, either--it just happens, as if it were inevitable. Roxy begins to tease that you're worse than one of her cats in a cuddly mood, and you just shake your head and go about your business.

Things are different, strange in this new world the eleven of you won--people who died are still dead, and there's an odd mash of cultures. He adjusts as easy as breathing, giving a blatant 'fuck you' to the interspecies relationship stigma and chatting up whoever he damn well pleases.

He tells you when the two of you are alone in the apartment one day that he usually isn't interested in the people he flirts with, at least not romantically, but he wants to bring smiles to their faces, wants to try and make their day a little brighter because he owes it to them.

Only he would send time screaming to a stop for these people and still think he needed to do more for them.

You begin to learn tiny things about him. He loves rain and hates storms. His sleep schedule is about as sporadic as yours. He acts like vegetables are treats and has to have a constant supply of apple juice or his whole day is ruined. He snores AND mumbles in his sleep. He takes his coffee with an overabundance of creamer and sugar, but the line between too much and not enough creamer is a thin one and you learn it very well.

He doesn't notice you noticing him, and it's strange to you, because you pay so much attention to him. He is your latest obsession: it makes you feel a little weird, honestly, but there you are.

It takes talking to Jake like nothing ever happened between the two of you for you to realize you like him. Not Jake, but him. And at first you're scared.

No, this is just going to fuck up like before.

You try to stop yourself. You give him some distance, make yourself stop trains of thoughts in their tracks.

What happens is that Dave asks you if you're mad at him or something, hanging his head like he can't meet your eyes just in case you _are_ , and you want to sink through the floor because of your guilt. You think he's surprised when you grab him and give him a tight squeeze, but it doesn't stop him from hugging right back.

You don't ignore him anymore after that. You don't even let yourself try.

He's so terribly perfect that it scares you, but you're okay with that.

-

He comes in one day when you're working, bored and lonely, and watches you tinker. He asks you questions, and says, 'but why?' so many times that you eventually just explain, "It has to be perfect, or I can't use it. If I won't, I certainly don't expect the person I'm making it for to use it. I strive for and admire perfection, so I reflect that in my work."

He's quiet for a long while after that, just watching, and you look over when he sighs.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothin', it just... I didn't think about it like that. I mean, I do the same thing with my music, but it... I don't know."

You frown and set your wrench aside, wiping your hands on a rag and squeezing his shoulders until he looks up at you.

"No, Dave," you murmur, "What's _wrong_?"

"Just hit a nerve, is all," he replies, and looks away.

Your stomach feels as though it's sinking, and you let go. "I'm sorry," you reply, allowing yourself a small frown and furrowed brows. "I certainly didn't mean to."

Almost awkwardly, you turn back to your work and begin again. You're careful as always, but you're rolling the conversation over in your mind, trying to pick apart what could've possibly scuffed Dave's feelings.

It doesn't hit you until you're almost finished with the prototype, Dave dozing against your shoulder. You fix a few metal plates in place and set the chassis you're working on aside before gently nudging him. He lets out a quiet sound and clings tighter to your arm, nosing against your shoulder, and you just melt a little inside.

Still, you nudge him until you see his eyelashes flutter beneath his shades, and you ask, "Does it upset you because it makes you think I only tolerate you?"

His brows furrow as he thinks about what you mean, but mumbles a little, "Yeah, kinda," once it clicks. You bury your face in the top of his hair and promise, "You're one of the most perfect people I know, and even if you weren't, you're a delight to be around."

When you pull away, it's only so you can coax him to go lay down, because he's obviously tired enough for sleeping and that's too tired to watch you tinker.

The fact that you comply when he tugs on your arm so you'll join him is what keeps you smiling for the next few days, but you'll never admit it.

-

You have movie nights. You have series nights. You have movovie nights, and those are probably your favorite.

You think Dave knows what he wants to do with his life, now, that's for sure.

It's a miracle that your copies of your Bro's movies survived in your sylladex, honestly. All of you legitimately went through being born again and everything, it's kind of incredible that you still HAD your sylladex. Regardless, Dave finds an incredible amount of joy in watching the movovies, laughing until he can't breathe. Sometimes he'll ask you to replay scenes so he can soak up the full message of that portion, and you're glad to do so. He marvels over the parts he hadn't gotten to writing yet, picks them apart like your Bro's critics wished they could have.

He actually asks you if it would be disrespectful to follow his path, and you say no, that you think it would honor him more than anything.

(That he asked is a little painful when you remember him crying when you talked about both of your Bros upon finding each other again. He told you that he wasn't a hero and that he wished he could be more like your Bro. You promised Dave he was enough of a hero on his own, and that did nothing for the crying.)

The soundtracks always make him ask you if you have copies of the songs, and you always say yes, because you do. You listen to him mix them and let him listen to your mixes of them, and it warms the place in your heart that wishes you'd known your "guardian". You might not have him, but you'd rather grow with Dave at your side anyway.

-

Slowly, Dave begins working on scripts and more comics and even original music for the movies he'll make. He tries and tries to think of a better title for the series than SBAJH: The Movovies, but he breaks down and gives in one day, shouting, "FUCK IT, COOLER ME WAS A GENIUS."

You laugh from the other side of the apartment when you hear it. You're almost calmed down when you hear him laughing too, and you just lose it all over again.

(You make a mental note to subtly let Dave know how much you adore him. You don't really like that he thinks his alternate self was better, but even you recognize a legitimate joke when you hear one.)

-

He doesn't let you read the scripts. He keeps the comics unrelated, so you can read those, but god help you if you read the manuscripts.

Needless to say, when he stumbles in after a now-routine visit to California to see about getting his moves made only to tell you to get something nice to wear to a premiere, you practically jump to do so.

It's so much more glorious than you were prepared for.

(Wilson's a troll in this new universe, but that doesn't stop him from being cast because Dave wants to make this an homage to the originals, even if only the Sburb survivors will remember it. Karkat actually grabs Dave and kisses him for that--it isn't as though Wilson's having a rough time finding roles, but Karkat has taken to angry activism as though born for it. Dave waits until Karkat leaves to clean his mouth until his lips are swollen.)

(You try to convince yourself that the fact doesn't make you want to kiss him, because his lips get so fucking red and oh god this is becoming a problem.)

The public--and the media--eat the movie up like it's candy. The two of you go from a broke college guy apartment in Houston to a really fucking nice one in Hollywood. Dave can't stand paparazzi, so he does exactly what your Bro did and just yanks them all over the place with his responses until they're exhausted.

Rumors start flying about him and anyone he hangs out with--every last one of the Sburb kids, basically. They try to say he's in a relationship with Rose, of all people, first, and they laugh until they cry because _for fucks sake, they're full-blooded siblings in this universe_. Dave finds a copy of the gossip rag that came up with that one and hangs it in a shadow box on the wall in his workroom. They pin him to Jane and harass her until she shouts "Watch this!!!!!" and lays one on Roxy.

They try Jade. (Karkat actually gets to punch someone for interrupting one of their dates: you're really proud and Dave pays their hospital bills so they don't sue.)  
They try Kanaya. (That goes about like Rose, but with cackling about them pairing her with the wrong sibling instead.)  
They try Terezi. (Too late on that one, media. About a lifetime too late.)

Dave winds up leaning out his window, cupping his hands around his mouth, and shouting, "I'M GAAAAAAY," down to the paparazzi who still crowd around the front entrance of your building.

They shut up for a while after that.

-

Dave slides major issues into his movies, just like your Bro used to slide anti-Betty Crocker messages into his. Because of the New Movovies (which is technically the working title, and the critics write the 'New' part off as more irony), prices change, buying rates change, styles have changed.

In short, Dave is playing this somehow even _better_ than your Bro did. You couldn't be prouder if you tried, honestly.

He shoots you down every time you try to say so, though, insisting that you're only being nice.

You resist the urge to kiss him to shut him up and start to wonder when exactly you started actually falling in love with him.

-

You tell Roxy, because you tell Roxy everything and she's good with advice.

Except this time.

"Dirkyyyy," she sighs, papping your cheeks. "Dirky-jerky, my moon and stars, light of my life--" 'Rose is your light and Jane is your life,' you try to argue, but she keeps going. "Just lay one on him."

"What?" you sputter, setting your cup down. "Roxy, no. No, I'm not going to smush faces. He deserves am explanation--can't we just start on a gameplan for that?"

"You two have been beating around the bush for ages!" she argues, huffing. "I just want you to kiss him ONCE and see if he reacts--it's not like I'm telling you to propose immediately or anything."

"Rox--"

She covers her ears and screeches 'LALALALA I'M NOT LISTENING' until people are staring and you're waving her down, nodding. "Fine! Fine! Roxy, you win! Shh! Shhhhhh!"

She stops and takes her cup in her hands, looking at you seriously over the rim.

"I promise I wouldn't give you this advice if I didn't think it would work, sugartits. He looks at you when you're not looking, you know that? He hangs off your every word. I wish I could tell you about all the talks Rosie and I have had about the two of you, but I _can't_ because I promised I wouldn't. Just trust me when I say he wants this too."

You sigh and stand after looking at your watch, pecking Roxy's cheek when she joins you. "Okay," you tell her. "Okay, Roxy. I'll see you soon, alright?"

"Okie-dokie," she hums, and leaves a black lipstick mark on your cheek. "Love you, Dirky."

"Love you too, Rox."

-

Finally, the paparazzi start in on you. It's taken them long enough, you suppose as cameras flash all around the two of you at the next premiere.

"Wondered when they were finally going to ask," you sigh, actually chuckling. Dave joins you, nodding. "Yeah, me too." Then, with a quick, sly smirk your way, he slides his hand in yours and they go ballistic.

So you offer him a smirk of your own, grab him by the waist, and dip and kiss him like in a movie. You don't care what they do after that, too busy making it worth it and being shocked when he kisses back.

He doesn't let your hand go until you're home, after that. Not even in the limousine.

(You call Roxy later and say thank you. She snorts and replies that she just wants you both happy, and that she told you so. You show Dave the message and he laughs into your collar.)


End file.
